Inconspicuous
by tratatolord
Summary: After an unfortunate accident at a young age, Harry Potter loses his ability to see permanently. Through trial and error, Harry discovers his magical abilities and uses them to his full advantage. He enters the world of magic seeking knowledge with an open mind. How will the wizarding world react to a Boy-Who-Lived that is blind? (Blind AU, Smart Harry, planned M/M)
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter. That was the name of the child who was fascinated by books, and by extension, the knowledge they provided. He was currently plowing through a thick book about the basics of chemistry. Strange, for a six-year-old boy to be reading a high-leveled book like that. He was interested in science, more so than the other subjects that he came across in the library.

How did this boy become so interested in knowledge in the first place? After finding directions to the library, Harry had frequented the library. It was his safe place, away from his relatives and the disgusted looks they sent his way when he appeared in their line of sight. Of course, he had longed for their approval, but their hatred was so clear he felt that if he tried anything that made him better than his cousin, he would be locked in his cupboard with the occasional meal if they remembered him.

Since he and his cousin had started primary school, he had been assigned chores that slowly piled up as the year went by. His aunt had insisted that he do his fair share of work. Harry winced as he remembered her screeching that he should be grateful that they had been gracious enough to provide him shelter and food. He was really lucky that he was ignored as long as he finished his chores and didn't do anything "freakish."

The boy hadn't the slightest idea of why his relatives called him a freak. He had yet to do anything that stepped outside their definition of "normal," but their hatred was still directed at him. He was locked in the cupboard under the stairs and given scraps while two rooms were reserved for Dudley and he got to eat as much as he wanted. He knew that he would solve this mystery eventually, but for now, he'd have to leave it be. He liked the system they had and was not suicidal enough to ask his aunt.

Harry reluctantly returned the books and said goodbye to the librarian. He never checked out anything, who knows what irreversible damage Dudley would cause should he discover the books. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and quickly walked towards number four Privet Drive, unaware of what was about to happen. 

**A/N: Hi hi, guess I'm back on this site haha- I was kind of reluctant to return since my old fics were so bad but here I am. I've also posted this on ao3. The first two chapters are really short bc I wrote them a year or so ago and had no motivation to write lol. Anyways, have fun reading i guess**


	2. Chapter 2

All he remembered was the pain. He couldn't see, and every part of his body was burning. Was he dying? He was scared. It was so, so loud. He couldn't breathe. It hurts it hurts it _hurts_.

 _ **-Inconspicuous-**_

He woke up to darkness. He tried to stay calm. Why was it so dark? His eyes were wide open, but he couldn't make out a single shape in the darkness. He could hear people talking, and the beeping of a monitor. He wanted to panic, but he stifled those feelings quickly. He had to think, not panic and do nothing. His surroundings. He faintly remembered the intense pain. He felt bandages all over. He was most likely in a hospital.

"How are you feeling?" A woman- probably a nurse- asked him in a kind voice. He looked in the direction her voice was coming from.

"I can't see, may I ask what happened?" he asked calmly, his brain still trying to register the events unfolding. He had lost his sight. Whether it was temporary or not, he had no idea. He could practically feel the nurse wince.

"Ah.. A pipe burst, and you suffered serious injuries. It's a miracle you're still alive right now. You experienced severe optic nerve damage in the incident and.." the nurse stopped talking, seeming to remember that she was talking to a six-year-old. He nodded, he could recall the events, but not as clearly as he would have liked.

"Is it permanent?" He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. He already knew what the nurse was going to say.

"I'm sorry…" Before the nurse could say any words of comfort, she was called away. The sounds of her footsteps disappeared. He stared at the wall blankly, not that he knew what he was staring at. He winced as he imagined the complaints of the Dursleys. He wondered what they would do now that he was not able to do chores. Would he be kicked out now? Sent to the orphanage?

Harry tried to remember the incident. It must have been pretty bad for his survival to be considered a miracle. His head hurt as he tried to recall the events that lead to this disaster. All he could remember were loud noises, immense pain, and a soothing feeling washing over his body before he lost consciousness.

Wait- a soothing feeling? He was in a lot of pain, why would he feel soothed? His memory was hazy, but he knew that it was definitely not any sort of anesthetic. It was more of a familiar energy. The energy that helped him do things that seem impossible. The energy that seemed _almost like magic_.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry nearly let out a sigh when he heard his aunt screeching nearby. He really did not want to deal with the Dursleys along with trying to get used to his lack of sight. They must have heard of his... predicament from a nurse. He heard the door open and someone stormed to his bed.

"You ungrateful little freak !" He heard his aunt hiss. "Do you know how much this will cost us? We take you in and you go and get yourself blown up- just like your parents."

He was starting to get a headache. He mumbled out a "sorry" and looked down to his lap. Not that he could see anything. He heard Petunia huff and sit down. It sounded like someone else was approaching the room, he assumed it was another doctor.

"Let's see... Mrs. Dursley, I'm assuming? I'm afraid I have bad news. Your nephew will be blind permanently. He has a lot of external injuries as well as internal bleeding. It's a miracle that he even survived the explosion."

The doctor and Petunia discussed what Harry would need now that he lost his sight, about how he would need to go to a school for the blind to learn braille and whatnot. Harry zoned out as soon as he got the gist of it. He was more concerned about the soothing feeling that engulfed his body before he passed out. There was no logical explanation to it- why would he feel that when he was in so much pain? Harry thought more about the incident. That feeling felt, dare he say it, like magic, and it was a miracle he even survived. Magic. The Dursleys hated anything and everything unnatural, and saying the word magic in front of them was a death wish. The Dursleys think that he's a freak… Those things might just be connected. He would have to test that theory later. The doctor said that he had to stay at the hospital for at least a month before he could be discharged. He had plenty of time.

Harry was left alone to his devices when the doctor left along with his aunt. Then, he came to a realization. That strange energy was the same one he felt when something 'strange' happened to him. If that was the case, then is that energy present in him at all times? Is it something he could reach out to and use? Taking a deep breath, he tried to reach out to that strange energy that soothed him. He closed his eyes, not that he needed to, and concentrated. He imagined the energy flowing through his body. He opened his eyes and grinned when he could feel the comfort of whatever the energy was. He blinked and remembered that there was no point in opening his eyes.

He wondered if he could use that energy to feel the objects around him, and allow him to "see." He could feel the energy, so it definitely exists, and he felt it when strange things occurred. A plausible explanation would be that that energy was the cause of those things. If the magic, he decided to call the energy, could cause different things to happen, then it should be possible for it to help him feel the objects around him, he hypothesized. He was about to test it when someone entered the room. A nurse, he was assuming.

"It's time for your dinner. There's beef and onion pie with steamed vegetables and minestrone soup. There is a water bottle to your right if you need it. Do you need assistance eating?"

Harry checked to see if his arm was functional and shook his head. He felt the nurse set up the food on his bed. He quietly said 'thank you' and felt around to see what was what. He ate slowly and mulled over his findings. It really was a shock that he would no longer be able to see, but he was grateful that he came out of it alive somehow. His memory of the accident was hazy, but he could remember that his injuries were awful. He decided not to think about it. What's done is done. He managed to finish his dinner and, when he did, the exhaustion from everything finally hit him. He'd just have to continue this magic stuff the next day.

 **-Inconspicuous-**

The next day Harry had found that he had felt a lot better. The initial confusion from waking up to pure darkness was still there, but his other injuries felt considerably better. After eating breakfast Harry was, once again, left alone. He would most likely be alone for the majority of the month, which means a heck of a lot more time to practice with this 'magic.' He decided to set his goal to feeling the objects around him with the magic to let him see the shapes.

Concentrating again, he focused on the image of the energy flowing out of his body and branching out toward the monitor beside him. If he could feel the shape of it, even just a general shape, he could consider it a success. It didn't work. He couldn't feel anything other than the hospital bed and blankets. No matter, it was only the first time, and it'd be wishful thinking to believe that it would be a success the first try.

After several tries, Harry decided to change his focus to just letting the energy branch out, rather than focusing it on a specific object. After all, it could be that he just couldn't control the energy well, and consequently couldn't direct it somewhere in particular. Focusing again, he gave himself a mental pat on the back as he felt the energy brush up against a stool next to the bed. However, as he did so, he suddenly felt completely and utterly exhausted. Feeling accomplished, Harry took a break and rested.

Harry continued to practice for the rest of the day, taking breaks when he was low on energy to allow the magic to regenerate. He felt like he had a better grasp on manipulating the magic, but he could only 'see' things a foot away from him. He found that he could see things behind him, though, and that he could focus on a certain area and see further. Harry felt like he could do anything with this magic, but he couldn't risk testing since he wouldn't know if someone would be there to see him and get him in trouble.

Harry sat there pondering over his newfound ability. He had a month in the hospital to get a full grasp of 'seeing' with his magic, but only practicing feeling the things around him would get repetitive real quick. Not many things would get changed or added to the room, so it would be boring to just feel the same things over and over again. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he would be able to use his magic to read. He knew that it was a ridiculous idea, but maybe he would be able to read from feeling the thin layer of ink on paper. It was a notion that had a minuscule chance of actually working, but Harry wanted to be able to read, and he knew that some of the books he wanted to read might not be available in braille. And besides, he wouldn't even be able to learn braille properly until he is discharged from the hospital, so he had to find a way to read somehow.

 **-Inconspicuous-**

"Excuse me, miss? Can I.. Can I have some books, please?" Harry spoke softly as the nurse set up his breakfast, "Any book is fine... It's... I just miss reading, and.."

He trailed off, knowing that the nurse would understand those unspoken words. The nurse had momentarily paused setting up the food.

"I'll bring you some of my old books. I don't need them anymore, so you can keep them for as long as you like," the nurse said as she resumed setting up his food. She probably pitied him.

Harry mumbled a small 'thank you' as the nurse finished and realized how different his life was going to be. He was distracted by the magic, and it didn't really register that he was never going to see ever again. Would he forget what colors look like eventually? Would his aunt kick him out for being blind and unable to do any chores? Would he lose what little he had?

He shook his head and tried to calm down. He shouldn't be so pessimistic. If the magic test succeeded, his life wouldn't change that much. He would still have to learn braille and how to do things as a blind person, but he'd have something that somewhat resembled normalcy to fall back on. Harry cheered himself up and, after finishing his food, resumed practicing magic.

 **-Inconspicuous-**

By the time the nurse had given him some books, Harry had managed to increase his magic range to roughly twenty feet and had figured out how to see other people's emotions, internally and externally. In addition to that, Harry had figured out that he could manipulate objects and had practiced with that subtly.

He held the books close, glad to have some sort of comfort again. Harry placed one of the books in front of him and took a deep breath. He first tried to make out the title of the book.

'C… h….e… m… i… s… t….r….y…. Uhh… concepts and problems?' Harry could just barely make out the words on the cover, thanks to the title being slightly protruded. He grimaced when he realized that, if he had trouble reading words he could feel, he would definitely have a lot more trouble reading words that are completely flat against the paper. Even so, he still had to try.

Harry flipped the page and searched for words, hoping that his magic would defy all logic and allow for him to feel what should not be able to be felt. Nothing. Maybe that page didn't have any text? Some books do that. He skipped a few pages and concentrated. If he could just make out something, anything, there would be hope.

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _The_

Harry grinned. He did it.

 **AN: I didn't notice that fanfiction messed up my chapter whoops- sorry about that haha. Here's the chapter without the mess, hopefully it doesn't mess up again orzz**


	4. Chapter 4

Five years had passed since Harry had lost his sight. Five years since he had discovered magic. And five years since the Dursleys began to tolerate his existence. That meant that they just completely ignored his existence outside meal times, not that it changed much.

Harry had gotten used to his lack of sight and would have been able to get through his life unbothered with or without his magic. As for magic, he had experimented with how much magic could do, and had pretty good control of it, though he still had questions. Harry never really interacted with other kids his age, but he didn't really mind.

It was the week before his eleventh birthday, and he wanted to frequent the library as much as possible during the week as some form of celebration. The librarian, Mrs. Wright, had grown quite fond of him and had helped him in finding more books in braille. Harry considered the elderly woman as his grandma and had spent most of his birthdays with her.

Harry greeted Mrs. Wright and navigated his way to the braille section. The section was small, but there were a variety of books, so he was happy with it. Picking out a random book, Harry immersed himself in the book.

There was a tap on his shoulder. He looked in the general direction of where the tap came from. It was Mrs. Wright.

"You best be going home now, dear, it's nearly half six," the elderly lady said and ambled back to the reception desk.

Harry checked out a workbook on mathematics, thanking Mrs. Wright for letting him know the time. He could have checked the time himself with his magic, but he was too lost in the book to keep track of it. He left the library and headed to Privet Drive, content with his day.

Harry checked the mail, not really expecting to find anything. It was just part of his routine to check the mail when he got back. He was surprised to find that there was a single envelope sitting in the mailbox. He was surprised when he found that the address was written in braille, and was addressed to him.

 _Mr. H. Potter_

 _The Cupboard Under the Stairs_

 _4 Privet Drive,_

 _Little Whinging_

 _Surrey._

Who would be writing to him? There was no one he knew of that would want to. Harry went inside and quickly went to his cupboard. He examined the envelope. Harry could feel traces of magic emitting from the letter, but he didn't feel anything malicious from it. Harry carefully opened it and began to read.

 **HOGWARTS SCHOOL** ** _of_** **WITCHCRAFT** ** _and_** **WIZARDRY**

 **Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**

 ** _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_**

 ** _Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_**

 **Dear Mr. Potter,**

 **We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**

 **Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.**

 **Yours sincerely,**

 **Minerva McGonagall**

 **Deputy Headmistress**

Harry raised an eyebrow. The letter seemed legitimate, and its contents explained the trace of magic on it. Everything made more sense with this letter, really. He looked at the list of required books and equipment and frowned. Where was he supposed to buy all these? He supposed that he would have to ask Aunt Petunia since it seemed like she would know something about this. It also appeared that he would have to write a letter to them, something else to ask his aunt.

Harry was intrigued. So there were others who could do what he did, and it seemed like wands were used to support the manipulation of magic. And owls were used as a form of communication. Based on the course books, there seemed to be interesting subjects, too. He had a week to reply to the letter, and a month after that to prepare for the school term. He checked the time. He had just enough time to eat and take a shower before he had to go to bed. His questions would just have to wait until tomorrow.

 **-Inconspicuous-**

The next morning, Harry found Aunt Petunia having tea while watching TV. Uncle Vernon had left for work and Dudley was hanging out with Piers.

"Hey, Aunt Petunia? Do you know about Hogwarts?" Harry sat down at the table and stared at her, face blank.

Petunia's face paled and Harry could feel her jumbled emotions. Hate, fear, pain, jealousy, sadness, anger. He pushed a copy of the letter from Hogwarts towards her, which he had magically translated to English (he had learned the trick when he was frustrated about not finding the book he wanted in braille). Before his aunt could say anything, Harry spoke up.

"Because I'd like to go. It wouldn't do if I just had random bouts of accidental magic with no way to control them, right? I could accidentally hurt you, Uncle Vernon, or Dudley. I don't want to do that, and I'm sure the feeling is mutual."

"Now listen here, boy-" Aunt Petunia began to say, before blanching when the implications of his words registered.

"I'll take you where you need to go to buy your school things, but that's the most I will do. You can send a letter to accept your enrollment there. You can do everything else yourself. We'll go to London tomorrow."

Harry nodded, internally cheering. He was excited to learn about all the new types of magic that he might have missed. He definitely wanted to study up on potions and herbology. He wondered if it was like chemistry, or if it used magical plants. And what were the properties of magical plants? What kinds of different medicinal properties do they have? Harry walked to the library full of these questions.

 **-Inconspicuous-**

The ride to London was quiet. He could feel his aunt glance at him occasionally as if she was waiting for him to blow up at any moment. He guessed that her fear of magic had something to do with his parents. He knew nothing of them, but he didn't believe that they died in a car accident. Something in his gut said that it was a lie, and the recurring dream with the bright green light could be a hint of their cause of death. He was assuming that they, too, were wizards. His aunt and uncle didn't speak of them like they never existed, but then again they act like he doesn't exist either so it would make sense for them to not mention them. Harry was pulled out of his thoughts when his aunt parked. He followed his aunt until they reached a small pub in between a big bookshop and a record shop.

There was a lot of chatter in the pub, and it was small enough that his magic could effortlessly reach from one end to the other. His aunt approached the old bartender.

"We need to get to Diagon Alley," his aunt said to the bartender rigidly.

"Ah, yes, muggleborn? Hogwarts letters just got sent out, didn't they?" The bartender got up and smiled, trying to make small talk. Aunt Petunia only made a curt nod. He walked up to a wall and tapped three times. The wall transformed into an archway. Harry looked at the wall, amazed at the amount of magic emitting from it. It was a shame that he couldn't actually see the transformation itself, it must've been amazing. He thanked the bartender as he followed his aunt through the archway.

The amount of magic everywhere nearly overwhelmed Harry. He was at a loss for words. The only magic he'd ever been exposed to was his own and the trace of magic from the letter. There was a multitude of different kinds of magical signatures. From the buildings, from the people, from the objects, even from the air. He didn't realize he'd stopped until his aunt pulled him.

"Hurry up. We need to get your money."

Money? He had money? Harry followed his aunt, dumbfounded. They stopped at a large building that overwhelmed the other little shops. Standing next to its doors was a.. person? Maybe a goblin? He wasn't sure. He bowed to the guard as they passed the doors. There was a second pair of doors. He could feel words engraved on them. It was basically a threat that any attempted robberies would be punished. He winced as he imagined what kinds of punishments befell those who were idiotic enough to try. Beyond those doors were a hundred or so more goblins. A pair of goblins bowed them and he bowed back, not trying to be discourteous. Aunt Petunia led him to a free counter.

"We're here to take money from Harry Potter's safe. I'm his aunt, but I don't have his key." The goblin looked at Harry and his aunt and nodded.

"We will have to do a blood test to confirm his identity, and then you'll receive a copy of the key."

The goblin called for another goblin, Griphook, to take care of the blood test. Griphook led them into a room. Harry sat down after being told to do so and a bowl was placed on the desk in front of him.

"I will prick your finger so that some of your blood drops into the bowl. The bowl will state your identity and, if you are who you say you are, you will be given a copy of the key to your vault," the goblin explained. After his identity was confirmed, Griphook inquired about the key. "Would you like to make the other copies of the key invalid?"

"Yes, please do. We were not aware that other people have access to his safe," his aunt replied. Harry wondered who had previously had access to his vault. Not that it mattered anymore since they wouldn't be able to use their copy of the key anymore.

Griphook led them out the room and toward a door leading off the hall. They were in a narrow passageway with little railway tracks. The room was lit with torches. Huh, that's interesting. Griphook summoned a small cart, which had appeared to be self-operating. They climbed in and the cart sped through twisting passages and plunged deep into the underground. Harry let out a laugh, surprised by the sudden wind. It was like a rollercoaster. He didn't know how long the ride took, but by the time the cart had stopped he could feel his aunt feeling sick. He slowly inched away from her when they got off, just in case.

Griphook unlocked the door to his vault and Harry blinked. Not like the blinking really did anything. He was _blind_. But he was so surprised by the amount of money he could feel that he just had to. There were piles and piles of coins.

"The largest coins are Galleons, seventeen Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle. Galleons have six bumps, Sickles have four, Knuts have two," Griphook explained.

Harry was in a daze as he put some of the coins into a bag- he was told that it could be wired to his account so that he could extract the exact amount of money he would need without the hassle of carrying it all the time for a small fee and had agreed to it. He wondered what the exchange rate to pounds was. He asked Griphook how many pounds were to a Galleon and if it was possible for him to exchange some of his money to pounds with his bag. He was told that the bag could function that way, but a fee would be charged.

Harry and Aunt Petunia thanked the goblin and left Gringotts, Harry still flustered from having an absurd amount of money. Harry looked at his aunt, curious as to why she didn't take any of his money if she knew about it.

"I want nothing to do with your kind, not even money," his aunt said abruptly as if reading his mind. Petunia said that she would be waiting back at the pub, feeling unwell from the cart ride. That was fine, he could probably navigate his way around by himself.

Harry searched around, and found a shop with a sign that said "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions." He assumed that that was a place he could get his school uniform. Harry entered the shop nervously. Madam Malkin ushered Harry to the back of the shop and told him to stand on a footstool next to another boy his age. The boy greeted him and spoke in a bored voice. Harry frowned, the boy reminded him of Dudley and sounded like a spoiled child. The boy talked about racing brooms- huh, guess wizards really do fly on brooms.

"Have you got your own broom?" the boy asked, and Harry nearly lets out a laugh.

"No, I'm blind, I can't fly," Harry said, amused. The boy blinked.

"What? Can't you just get that fixed? Blind wizards are practically unheard of."

"No, the damage is too extensive, and it'd be too late to fix it now anyway," Harry could feel the other boy's brief curiosity.

"Huh. That's kind of weird. Anyways, you know what house you'll be in yet? I know I'll be in Slytherin, everyone in my family's been..." the boy continued talking.

Madam Malkin finished Harry's measurements, and he thanked her as he made his purchase and left. Harry found a shop for trunks next. He was grateful to magic for existing when he found a trunk that had a compartment that could be used for a library, another one for a kitchen, and two that were basically empty storage rooms. _And_ the trunk couldn't be opened by anyone but him, it had been locked by his blood and would check for magical signature, _and_ it was charmed to be weightless. How cool was that? A single trunk could hold so much! But the most important was definitely the library. It had cost him twenty Galleons, but it was worth it. He had also bought a bottomless and weightless backpack for when he needed to go somewhere, aka the library. That, too, had been altered to only let Harry open it. Though the Dursleys ignore his existence, he didn't trust that they would leave his things alone.

Harry bought the rest of his school supplies, leaving the books and wand for last. He had bought extra potion ingredients outside the basic ones at the Apothecary and had asked the man behind the counter preservation methods for them.

When he got to the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts, he practically had a field day. There were so many different books on different types of magic. He wanted to buy them all, even though he knew that he shouldn't. He picked up his school books and bought several books that elaborated on each of his school subjects and others that interested him, such as Arithmancy and ancient runes. He had also found some books on wizard traditions, history, and etiquette. He had asked the shopkeeper if it was possible to translate the books to braille, and was happy to pay the small fee for it. He could have done it himself, but he didn't want to risk accidentally mistranslating the book. Though he could read normal books, it just made his life easier to just read in braille. He had enough books to last him the two months he had before the term started.

He asked for directions and managed to find his way around to Ollivanders to buy his wand. He was curious about it. It seemed like wizards were dependent on wands to cast their magic. It seemed like he would have to hide his wandless magic abilities- wouldn't want to attract unnecessary attention.

The shop was tiny and empty. But the air was full of magic, and he could feel the personalities of the different types of wands. He supposed that wands were sort of their own sentient being and that a wizard had to be compatible with their wand in order to cast magic to their full abilities. He felt someone and turned to face in the general direction.

"Good afternoon," Harry greeted the man.

"Good afternoon to you too, Harry Potter. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. You have your mother's eyes, I'm sorry for your loss." Harry was unsure of whether he was talking about his loss of sight or his parents. The man spoke of his parents and the wands they had. Harry could feel that this man was a powerful wizard, magic itself stained his hands. Mr. Ollivander reached to touch Harry's forehead, but he moved out of the way.

This seemed to remind the man why Harry was here. He pulled out a long tape measure and began to take his measurements. Mr. Ollivander began taking down boxes and instructed Harry to take a wand and wave it. He didn't feel a connection at all. Mr. Ollivander snatched the wand out of his hand and gave him a different one. This cycle repeated until the pile of tried wands was considerably large.

"I wonder.. Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Harry took the wand and felt a sudden warmth. Sparks shot from the end of the wand when he swished it down. Mr. Ollivander put the wand back into its box and wrapped it, muttering under his breath. "Curious, curious.." Harry's interest was piqued.

"Excuse me, but what is curious?" Mr. Ollivander looked up from the box and stared at Harry.

"I remember every wand I've sold, Mr. Potter. The phoenix whose feather is in your wand gave another- It just so happens to be that its brother is the one that gave you that scar." Harry snapped his hand up to feel the jagged scar on his forehead. He never really thought about it, but it made sense that the scar was caused by something magic since he could feel traces of a magical signature that wasn't his own. He had forced the magic out a while ago, however, since he had felt its malicious intent. He frowned.

"Does that mean someone cursed me? Why would someone want to do that?" Mr. Ollivander sat down.

"Mr. Potter... You don't know? Your _story_?" Harry shook his head and Mr. Ollivander continued to speak. "Your parents, James and Lily Potter, were exceptional wizards, yes… It was a dark time, and a man who reigned during those dark ages killed them. Many fear his name, and simply refer to him as You-Know-Who… It was said that he attempted to murder you, but failed and disappeared. The people revere you in this world, Mr. Potter. You are known by all…" Mr. Ollivander trailed off and handed the boxed wand to Harry. "Here you go, Mr. Potter." Harry was caught off guard by the sudden change of topic. He got up before he realized something.

"Actually, is there anything I can hold the wand with safely without having to worry about accidentally snapping it in two? You know, like a holster?"

Mr. Ollivander seemed surprised, he guessed that not many students ask about that kind of stuff.

"Of course, of course. There are arm holsters, leg holsters, belt holsters.. Take your pick."

Harry decided to get a belt holster. It seemed to be the most convenient. Harry paid seven galleons for his wand and six for his wand holster. Thanking Mr. Ollivander, Harry left the shop with a lot on his mind. He made his way to the Leaky Cauldron.

 **-Inconspicuous-**

For the rest of the week, Harry spent his time in the library as planned, but studied magic instead. If he needed to practice something, he would just write down a note to practice it. He practically lived in his trunk at this point. He would spend his time studying in his mini library, cook something in his kitchen, and experimented with magic. The Dursleys rarely saw him, not that they cared. He bought his own groceries and cooked for himself. He had also bought some new clothes for himself, and he had definitely needed it.

Harry had bought a pack of cheap ballpoint pens and several notepads for taking notes during class. He probably would need to write in Kobigraphs for those rather than use slates, he wouldn't have enough time. He wondered why wizards still used parchment paper and quills, he shook his head, so old school. He would have to ask one of the teachers to use a translation spell to translate his essays to English. He doesn't want his teachers just accusing him of cheating because he can't actually write in English, and he doesn't want anyone to realize that he already knows some 'advanced' magic.

He was sitting in his usual spot at the library when Mrs. Wright had called for him. He checked the time. It was half-past five. The elderly lady was holding on to a small box.

"Happy birthday dearie, I baked you a cake"

Harry hugged the librarian, he never quite getting used to being given something for his birthday. At least he didn't cry though, he did the first time she got him a birthday gift.

"Thank you, Mrs. Wright. I'm sure it's going to be the best cake I've ever had." Harry could feel the elderly lady smile. Then, he remembered that he was going to Hogwarts in two months. "Oh right. I'm going to go to a boarding school in Scotland, so I won't be able to visit you as much anymore, sorry. I'll try during the summer, though." He smiled sadly. He really was going to miss the librarian.

"That's alright, dear, I won't be going anywhere so you don't have to worry about having to visit me all the time," Mrs. Wright smiled. "Now sit down and eat your cake, this is the only day I'll allow it." He couldn't see it, but he could imagine her eyes twinkling and laughed. He felt warm. Was this what it was like to have family? That cake really was the best cake he'd ever had.

 **AN: Harry indulges in shopping bc he deserves it. Late chapter, hope you enjoyed- also if ffnet messes up this chapter I'm gonna throw hands smh**


	5. Chapter 5

Before Harry knew it, it was September 1. Harry already had most of his stuff packed up almost all the time, but he still had to check if he had everything. The day before Mrs. Wright had given him some cupcakes to eat on the train. He had those, right? Yup, they're in his backpack at the very top. Frankly, he was nervous. Excited, but really, really nervous. He still had a book left to read during the train ride. Okay. He has to make sure he has that with him, or he might just die from being so anxious. Okay, what's the time? 6:30. He had exactly thirty minutes. He decided to read for a bit- no that's too risky. He decided to check that he had everything again. He tapped his foot lightly on the floor, not really having enough room in his cupboard to pace around. Okay, Aunt Petunia is up now. It's almost time to go.

Harry and Aunt Petunia left the house quietly by seven. Harry fidgeted around for the rest of the ride. They arrived at King's Cross at a quarter past ten. Harry carried his trunk out and followed his aunt to the platforms. She stopped in between platforms nine and ten. They were facing a wall between the platforms. Harry could sense powerful magic on the wall.

"We're in front of a wall. If you go straight ahead, you'll be able to go past it. That's the platform your train is on," Aunt Petunia told him in a low voice and quickly began to leave.

"Thank you, Aunt Petunia. For everything."

His aunt stopped for a little while and then left without saying a word. For a brief moment, he felt her regret and sadness. He looked in the direction she left until he couldn't sense her anymore. He really was truly thankful. Who knows what would've happened if his aunt had refused to help him.

He shook his head and looked at the wall. He walked through it and was pleasantly surprised to find that he had actually passed through to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. If he still had his sight he probably would've hesitated to go through the wall a lot more. It was packed with people, but he was sure that in the next forty-five minutes or so it would get even more packed. There was an overwhelming amount of magical signatures everywhere, and he felt like he would get dizzy if there were even more. He walked along with the crowd, attempting to find an empty compartment.

Near the end of the train, Harry finally found a compartment that didn't have a human presence. He pushed his trunk toward the corner of the compartment and sat down next to a window. He leaned his head against the glass and sighed. He was definitely not used to being around so many different magical signatures. He'll probably get the hang of it pretty quickly, though. He was a fast learner, after all.

He rummaged through his backpack and carefully took out Mrs. Wright's small box of cupcakes, settling it down next to him so he wouldn't accidentally squish the box. He set his backpack on his lap and fished out a book on basic healing. He had plowed through most of his school books over the past two months and had taken some high-quality notes for kobigraph practice. Healing was a particular subject Harry was interested in. It's fascinating how much damage magic can heal. Harry raised a hand up to his eyes and grimaced. Not enough to save his optic nerves, but enough to save everything else. He shook his head and set the book on his backpack and began to read.

He didn't even notice when the train began to move. He had finished nearly half of the book when he was shaken out of his focus by some rattling outside the corridor. He decided it would be a good time to stop for a bit and closed the book. Moments later, a woman slid open the door and said, "Anything off the cart, dear?"

Harry stood up, curious about what kinds of sweets the magical world had. He decided to buy some Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, and Cauldron Cakes. He absentmindedly chewed on a pumpkin pasty while jotting down some notes on the material he just read. He looked up to the compartment door again when there was a light knock. A round-faced boy entered, seemingly close to tears. Harry looked at the boy in alarm at the boy's panic radiating off of him.

"Sorry, but have you seen a toad?" Harry shook his head and furrowed his brows when the boy began to sniffle. He sounded like he was about to start bawling any second. Harry set his books down and approached the boy, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Hey... Sit down for a bit, calm down. You won't be able to find your toad like this," Harry said softly, steering the boy towards a seat. The boy sniffled and sat down reluctantly.

"I just keep on losing him, I don't think he wants to stay with me…" Harry offered the boy a cauldron cake and sat back down. Harry bit his lip, unsure of how to comfort the boy.

"Perhaps it's the environment he doesn't want to stay in? Do you have a proper terrarium set up for him?" After the boy mumbled a small 'no' Harry continued. "I don't know much about toads, but I reckon they have specific requirements for their enclosures. I'm sure he'd want to stay with you once you set up a good home for him…" Harry trailed off, unsure if what he'd said would even make the boy feel better.

The boy sat there, thinking as he played with his sleeve. After a while, the boy relaxed and looked at Harry. "Yeah, maybe you're right… I'll ask Gran about finding a good enclosure for Trevor." Harry mentally let out a sigh of relief. So he didn't mess things up too much. The boy held his hand out to shake Harry's, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry about that, I'm Neville Longbottom. You can call me Neville."

Harry took the hand and smiled. "Don't worry about it, I'm Harry. Just Harry for now." Neville shot him an odd look but didn't say anything. Neville stood up.

"I should probably go find Trevor... I'll be back..?" Harry nodded and suggested that Neville should ask help from the upper years. Once again it was silent. Harry sighed and looked out the window wistfully. He'd never been on a train before he lost his sight, much less left Surrey. He probably missed out on so many amazing sights. Harry leaned against the cool glass and closed his eyes. Did he just make a new friend? Harry never really made friends, so he wasn't too sure. Neville seemed like a nice guy, a tad jittery but full of potential, judging by his magical signature. Maybe they'd be able to be good friends.

Harry opened Mrs. Wright's box of cupcakes and took one. He smiled as he could feel the love and care the old librarian had put into baking the cupcakes. They were simple vanilla cupcakes, but Harry loved them nonetheless. He would miss going to the library every day. Harry didn't realize he had zoned out until Neville returned to the compartment holding a toad carefully. Neville greeted him nervously and sat down, seemingly unsure if he was still welcome. Harry gave him a small wave and offered a cupcake. After Neville settled down, Harry pressed a hand against the cool glass of the window.

"So what's it look like outside?"

Neville startled at the sudden question. His eyes darted from Harry's book to the cane resting on the seat and seemed to come to a realization. Neville's eyes widened and he let out a soft 'oh.' He was able to quickly regain his composure though, not wanting to seem rude, and began to describe what was outside the window. There wasn't much outside for him to see, apparently. They were just passing by fields full of cattle and lanes.

"So what house do you think you'd be in, Harry?"

"Hm... Judging by what I've read of the houses so far, I reckon I'd get into Ravenclaw, but I'd be alright with any house, you?"

"I'd probably get into Hufflepuff…" Neville mumbled dejectedly, rubbing the back of his neck. Harry frowned at Neville's meek tone.

"And what's wrong with that? Hufflepuff is the house of the loyal and hardworking, right? Sounds like a good house to be in, if you ask me."

Neville paused and looked at Harry. "I guess you're right…" He smiled shyly and began to speak again when the compartment door opened. It was the boy Harry had met at Madam Malkin's, along with two others behind him. He felt the boy's indifference toward Neville and mild surprise at seeing the young blind wizard.

"Oh, it's you. The blind kid. Say, have you seen Harry Potter? He's supposed to be going to Hogwarts this year, but it doesn't appear that anyone has found him yet. By the way, we never really introduced ourselves to each other, have we? My apologies, the name's Draco Malfoy." The boy offered Harry his hand. Harry stared at Malfoy for a moment. It didn't seem like the boy was a particularly bad person- he just came off as a bit snobbish and spoiled. He was a bit worried about Neville though, anxiety has been rolling off him in waves ever since Malfoy appeared. Harry took the hand, as to be polite, and nodded.

"The name's Harry. Harry Potter. Pleased to meet your acquaintance." As both Malfoy and Neville registered what he just said, Harry took out a book and began to read from where he left off. The pure, unadulterated shock that came from Malfoy was nearly priceless. Harry was pleasantly surprised to find that Neville was only slightly surprised. He probably had his suspicions of Harry's identity when he only left it at his first name. Malfoy spluttered before attempting to regain his composure.

"You… You're Harry Potter?" Malfoy said, disbelief clear in his tone. Harry looked back up at him.

"Yup," Harry said, popping the 'p,' "choose to believe me or not, I don't care either way." Harry shrugged and went back to reading, quirking his lips a bit when he felt amusement coming from Neville. He was glad that Neville was no longer feeling anxious. Malfoy stood there for a while, unsure of what to do. Maybe the shock was too much for him, but Malfoy just left without saying a word. The compartment door closed behind him with a soft thud.

"Wow. I've never seen Malfoy lose his composure like that before." Neville let out a small laugh. "Guess you see new things every day." Harry hummed in agreement.

The compartment was silent for a while, with the occasional croak from Trevor. Harry commented that the train felt like it was slowing down a bit, and Neville suggested that they put on their uniforms. After they were finished, as if on cue, a voice announced that they would arrive at Hogwarts in a few minutes. The announcement made things just seem more real, and Harry felt his nerves bubbling up again. He could feel that Neville was feeling the same way. He grabbed his cane and mentally prepared himself. The train came to a stop and they both made their way down the train, barely avoiding being crushed by the crowd and letting Trevor escape. Harry took in the cold air when they finally managed to get out, enjoying the contrast to the crowded train. A loud voice boomed over the crowd.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

Harry followed the voice, pocketing his cane so he wouldn't accidentally lose it in the crowd and making sure Neville was still near him. The voice came from a giant man who had an odd magical signature. He had noticed that most, if not all, of the magical signatures he had sensed on the train had a common link that was most likely what differentiated wizards from other magical creatures. This man had a signature that was partially that of a wizard's, but it also had another part that Harry couldn't recognize. He mentally filed away this information for later, though he could probably assume that the man was part giant.

They followed the man down a steep path that led to a lake, where everyone "ooh"ed in amazement. Neville whispered to him that there was a beautiful castle standing in the distance, past the lake. He wished that he, too, could see the wonderful sight that everyone around him could. They were told to move into the boats, and Harry and Neville found themselves boating with a girl with bushy hair and a boy with robes that seemed a bit short for him. The boat ride was quiet, awe thick in the air.

Harry widened his eyes when he suddenly felt magic encompass him- like they had crossed a barrier that contained the magic. He could _feel_ the castle welcoming them. There were no words to describe the feeling he got. It was warm, comforting, and gentle, almost like a mother's embrace. And yet, no one around him reacted. He hid a small smile. He may not have had the luxury to see the beautiful castle everyone else saw, but he was given an even greater gift.

He was home.

 **A/N: Long time no post- I've been working on this chapter on and off and finished a while ago, but tbh I lost confidence in my writing and never got to posting this haha. Hopefully I didn't disappoint too much ^^;;;**

 **I wanted to reply to the lovely comments left on my previous chapters,, but I couldn't find the right words to say and ended up saying nothing;;; Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading 3**


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